In this article we will formulate an Atlanta Braves vs Cleveland Guardians prediction for this MLB game on Sunday, April 28th at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Let’s take a look at the prediction for game three in this series.
Atlanta Looking for Another Series Win
The Atlanta Braves are 18-7 this season and they have won 10 of their last 12 games. Atlanta won game one of this series by a score of 6-2 on Friday, but did lose in extra innings on Saturday. Prior to this series, the Braves swept the Marlins (outscored them 12-3) and won two out of three against the Rangers. Atlanta has been one of the best teams in the MLB so far this year and they have won four straight series.
The Atlanta pitching staff has a 3.66 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a .232 opponent batting average. The Braves offense has scored 145 runs with a .278 batting average and a .350 on base percentage. Marcell Ozuna is batting .354 with nine home runs and 31 RBI’s for the Braves. Atlanta’s offense is in the top five for runs scored so far this year and they have allowed three runs or fewer in six of their last eight.
Guardians Leading the AL Central
The Cleveland Guardians are 19-8 this year and they have won seven of their last nine games. Cleveland lost game one in this series, but they did win game two by a score of 4-2 in extra innings on Saturday. Prior to this series, the Guardians won two out of three against Boston and swept the A’s in three games. Cleveland has over achieved to start this season and they are currently leading the AL Central over the Royals and Tigers.
The Cleveland pitching staff has a 3.23 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a .228 opponent batting average. The Guardians offense has scored 140 runs with a .248 batting average and a .318 on base percentage. Josh Naylor is batting .295 with six home runs and 21 RBI’s for the Guardians. Cleveland’s pitching staff was expected to be solid this year, but their offense has been much better than expected.
Starting Pitchers
The projected starting pitcher for Atlanta is Bryce Elder, who is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP over 6.2 innings pitched this year. Elder threw 6.2 shutout innings against Miami in his first start, but he did allow eight hits in the win. The projected starting pitcher for Cleveland is Ben Lively, who is 0-1 with a 2.38 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP over 11.1 innings pitched this season. Lively has allowed three earned runs and eight hits over 11.1 innings pitched in two starts against the Red Sox this year. Lively has been a pleasant surprise for Cleveland in limited action this year, but he will have his hands full with the Braves offensive attack here.
Atlanta Braves Team Facts
- The Braves have won each of their last eight games following an extra innings loss.
- The Braves have covered the run line in each of their last 10 games following an extra innings loss.
- The Braves have led after 3 innings in each of their last four day games against AL Central opponents that held a winning record.
- The Braves have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five Sunday games against opponents that held a winning record.
Cleveland Guardians Team Facts
- The Guardians have lost each of their last seven day games against National League opponents following a win.
- The Guardians have covered the run line in each of their last eight Sunday games as road underdogs against National League opponents.
- The Guardians have led after 3 innings in three of their last four games as underdogs against National League opponents.
- The Guardians have won the first inning in three of their last four games as underdogs against National League opponents.
Atlanta Braves vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction
Both of these teams have won one game in the series, so they will be playing for the series win here. We knew Atlanta was going to be a very good team this season, but Cleveland has been able to shock people with a 19-8 start. Cleveland has one of the best team ERA’s in the MLB and they have done a decent job in the first two games against this Atlanta offense. I really don’t know what to make of both starting pitchers in this game, but they have been very good in small sample sizes so far this year. The Braves have done a very good job of bouncing back after a loss this year, so my Atlanta Braves vs Cleveland Guardians prediction is for the Braves to cover the -1.5.